The Basics of Car Controls

Hitting the accelerator, turning the wheel and knowing how to brake are all key to making a car move, which is why the pedals and steering wheel are called the primary controls. But there are plenty more cockpit controls to get your head around too. For your theory test you need to know what each control does and when to use it. For your practical, you'll need to demonstrate using them correctly and answer any related questions the examiner asks. This guide takes you through the key car controls, what they're for, and how to operate them.

While the steering wheel sits on the right in UK cars, the pedals are in the same order worldwide, useful to know if you ever drive abroad or convert a foreign licence.

Pedals in a Manual Car

A manual car has three pedals. From left to right they are the clutch, brake and accelerator, or ABC backwards, if that helps you remember.

Clutch. The left-hand pedal. Pressed all the way down, it disengages the engine from the wheels, which lets you change gear and come to a stop without stalling. You operate it with your left foot, pressing it fully down and releasing it partially to find the biting point. Good clutch control is essential on your test: the examiner wants to see you move off, stop, change gear and hold low speeds in slow traffic smoothly and without stalling. When you're not using the clutch, rest your foot off the pedal (many cars have a footrest to the left for exactly this).

Brake. The middle pedal, operated with your right foot. It slows you down and brings you to a stop, gradually in normal driving or as quickly as possible in an emergency. It's linked to your brake lights, and the examiner may ask how you'd check those are working. Practise easing off the brake just before you stop, so your stops are smooth rather than jerky.

Accelerator. The right-hand pedal, also operated with your right foot. It gets the car moving and controls your speed. Apply gentle pressure as you release the clutch to find the biting point, keep your foot steady to hold a constant speed, press harder to speed up, and ease off to slow down. Going uphill, you'll need a little more accelerator to hold your speed.

Pedals in an Automatic Car

An automatic has just two pedals: brake on the left, accelerator on the right, both operated with your right foot. The car changes gear itself, which is one less thing to think about. You'll still need to practise your timing, such as when to start braking, to drive smoothly and economically.

The steering wheel turns your wheels to change direction: anticlockwise for left, clockwise for right. Hold it in a comfortable position (think of your hands at roughly ten-to-two or quarter-to-three), keep good control at all times, and get used to how your car's power steering feels so you'd notice if it stopped working.

Everything beyond the pedals and steering wheel is secondary, or ancillary. These controls support your driving and are positioned around the cockpit for easy access, though their exact location varies from car to car, so always familiarise yourself with a new vehicle before setting off.

They fall into three groups: controls that communicate with other road users (indicators, horn, hazard lights), controls that help visibility (lights, wipers, demisters), and controls for your safety and comfort (heater, air conditioning, handbrake).

On your practical test, you need to show you can operate these at the right moments while staying in full control of the car, and the "show me, tell me" questions may ask you to use or explain one.

Indicators

Your indicators signal your intentions to other road users: pulling up, moving off, turning at a junction, or changing lanes. You'll find them on a stalk beside the steering wheel, flicked up or down for right or left. A clicking sound and a flashing dashboard arrow remind you they're on, so you can cancel them once the manoeuvre is complete. Always use them as part of the Mirror-Signal-Manoeuvre routine, and apply good judgement about timing so you don't mislead anyone.

Hazard Warning Lights

These flash both indicators at once to warn other drivers of a hazard, for example when you're slowing sharply for a queue ahead or your car has developed a fault. Look for the dashboard button showing a red triangle. One press turns them on, another turns them off.

Horn

The horn's only proper purpose is to warn other road users of immediate danger, not to express frustration. It's usually in the centre of the steering wheel and needs a firm press. Have a go before your test so you know exactly where and how hard to push.

Lights

There are four main lights to know, and you must judge which suits the conditions:

Use sidelights in dull daytime conditions, dipped headlights during darkness (from half an hour after sunset to half an hour before sunrise), full beam on unlit roads where you won't dazzle other drivers, and fog lights only in seriously poor visibility such as fog. Depending on the car, you'll control these by twisting the end of a stalk, pushing the stalk for full beam, or using a dial. Fog lights are often on a separate button, worth locating in advance so you're never caught out.

Windscreen Wipers

Wipers clear rain, snow, dirt and spray so you keep a clear view. They're usually on the stalk opposite your indicators, with several speed settings, flick up for faster wiping, and often a dial to fine-tune the interval. Push or pull the stalk to spray screenwash (top it up with antifreeze screenwash in winter), and a single press gives one wipe, handy for clearing spray from a passing vehicle. Many modern cars detect rain automatically, but you still need to know how to work them manually. When it's raining heavily, good wiper use is part of safe driving.

Demisters

In cold weather your windows mist up inside, and they must be fully clear before you set off. The rear demister is a button showing a rectangle with three upward arrows: one press on, another off. For the front, use a heated windscreen if your car has one, or direct cool air at the glass and gradually warm it, which clears it faster than blasting hot air straight away. Turning on the air conditioning dries the air and speeds things up.

Heating and Air Conditioning

Beyond demisting, your temperature controls keep you alert and comfortable. Choose which vents the air comes from, how warm it is, and how forcefully it blows. Keep fresh air filtering in most of the time, but switch to recirculate if you hit a patch of polluted or smelly air. If your car has air conditioning, it's the button marked "AC".

Handbrake

The handbrake holds the car still without you keeping your foot on the brake, ideal at traffic lights (pop into neutral so you don't stall) and essential for a smooth hill start, since it frees your feet to balance clutch and accelerator. In older cars it's a lever: press the button on top, pull up firmly enough to hold the car but not so hard you overstretch it, and to release, press the button and lower it fully. Newer cars often have an electronic handbrake button instead. Never drive with it partly engaged, watch for the red warning light telling you it isn't fully released.

The primary controls, the pedals and steering wheel, are what actually move and steer the car, while the ancillary controls (indicators, horn, hazard lights, lights, wipers, demisters, heating and handbrake) support safe, comfortable driving. For your theory test you need to know what each one does and when to use it; for your practical, you need to operate them confidently while keeping full control of the car. Get comfortable with every control in your lesson car early on, and it all quickly becomes second nature.

Getting to grips with the controls is the very first step, and it's much easier with a patient, professional instructor beside you. Find your local DRIVE instructor and book your lessons today.